Crotalaria filicaulis Welw. ex Baker

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual, up to 5–13 dm. tall, with slender ascending branches above.

Morphology Stem

Stem slender, rather densely white appressed pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly 3-foliolate, with the uppermost 1-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblanceolate, up to 18 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, acute to shortly rounded at the apex, long-cuneate, glabrous above, appressed pubescent beneath; petiole up to 5 mm long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 14–27 cm. long, mostly many-flowered, sometimes with a few other flowers in the axils below; bracts linear, up to 1·5 mm. long, shorter than the pedicel; bracteoles inserted on the pedicel, filiform, up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–3·5(–4) mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, densely silvery appressed pubescent; upper lobes triangular, longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate-orbicular, yellow, marked reddish at the base inside and reddish veined outside, silvery tomentose outside; wings longer than the keel; keel abruptly roundedpractically at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow twisted beak, 3·5–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, subglobose-ovoid, shortly pointed, 4–5 mm. long, appressed pubescent, 2-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds suborbicular-cordiform, ± 2–2·5 mm. across, without a prominent aril, smooth, brown.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland, usually on sandy soils, also persisting on roadsides and cultivated ground; 900–1500 m.

Distribution

T4 T5 T7 T8

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

Leguminosae, various authors. Flora Zambesiaca 3:7. 2003

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual 20–120 cm tall; stem slender, often with numerous ascending branches and shorter flowering branches above, usually densely silvery appressed pubescent, elsewhere sometimes sparsely puberulous to subglabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly 3-foliolate, uppermost sometimes 1-foliolate; leaflets 10–20(30) × 0.5–2.5(4) mm, linear-oblanceolate, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole 1–7(12) mm long; stipules 0.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Terminal racemes 6–25 cm long, laxly 10–40-flowered, shorter on lateral branches, sometimes developing a few flowers in the axils below; bracts 1–4 mm long, shortly linear-elliptic to linear-subulate; pedicel 1.5–4 mm long, with setaceous bracteoles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–3.5 mm long, usually silvery tomentellous, elsewhere sometimes subglabrous; upper lobes rather broadly triangular, often slightly acuminate, ± twice as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate to oblate, pale yellow, marked red at the base inside, lined red outside, tomentellous outside or elsewhere sometimes puberulous only near the apex; wings longer than the keel; keel 4–5 mm long, subangular, with a tapered twisted beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, 4–5 × 3.5–4 mm, ovoid-globose, puberulous, 2-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2.5–3 mm long, rounded-cordiform.